Jay Chang landed No. 10 on the final episode of Mnet’s boy band audition program “Boys Planet,” missing his chance to debut in the nine-member final project boy band ZeroBaseOne by a close margin.
To solve the post-pandemic taxi shortage, Seoul is scrapping its three-shift system for privately-owned taxis for the first time in 45 years.
The standard fare for mid-sized taxis in Seoul will increase from 3,800 won to 4,800 won ($3.40), while the basic distance will also be decreased from the current 2 kilometers to 1.6 kilometers. This will be applied from February next year.
The basic taxi fare in Seoul will be raised to 4,800 won ($3.34), up 1,000 won from the current price, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday.
Despite the carrots the government is offering to solve the late-night cab shortage — such as raising taxi fares and lifting the shift system — taxi drivers think the problem won’t be solved until the way they are paid is overhauled.
Under the new system, those looking for a taxi between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. can pay 5,000 won so that the destination is masked from the driver before the pick up, as some drivers will avoid fares traveling short distances.
Kakao Mobility will conduct a test run on its late-night taxi service on Fridays and Saturdays, according to industry sources Thursday.
To tackle a worsening taxi shortage in Korea, the government is considering lifting operation restrictions at night and adopting a new system for pairing cabs and passengers.
All Seoul subway lines will resume late-night operations from August, with lines No. 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 starting to run until 1 a.m. from Tuesday.
Some of Seoul’s subways return Monday to normal operating hours, which were shortened during the pandemic.
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